Identifying Keystone Bacteria in the Tomato Seed Microbiome for Sustainable Agriculture

The seed microbiome represents a promising source of beneficial microorganisms with applications in sustainable agriculture. In this study, our goal was to characterize the seed endophytic bacterial communities of tomato cultivars Hawaii 7996 (resistant to bacterial wilt) and Moneymaker (susceptible), and identify putative keystone taxa within the Hawaii 7996 seed microbiome. Through a combination of amplicon sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, and culture-dependent approaches, we aimed to elucidate the role of these keystone bacteria in promoting plant growth and suppressing Fusarium wilt disease. Our findings highlight the potential of native seed-associated microorganisms for sustainable agriculture applications and provide insights into microbe-microbe interactions within the seed microbiome.